Here are 8 suggestions to be better about hiring great people.

Great companies hire great people, and they make a habit out of discovering remarkable talent, even before the applicant appreciates the depth of their own abilities.

Wise hiring decisions save businesses money and make the organization stronger.

A 2017 study revealed the average hiring process takes 24 days.? The average cost according to the Society for Human Resource Management, $4,500.? The cost of turnover, much higher.

Finding phenomenal people is an art form and one we can’t always expect to get right.

Even people with high emotional intelligence and astute social skills miscalculate when it comes to spotting exceptional candidates.

Let’s face it, sometimes people lie, embellish and sometimes our judgement is flawed.? It happens.

Regardless, there’s some lessons we can apply when hiring people that help guide the process and enhance the prospects of finding the “right people”.

I took the liberty of surveying 25 top business leaders on LinkedIn to inquire about their best hiring practices.

“Talent is like electricity. We don’t understand electricity. We use it.” Maya Angelou

Here are 8 suggestions to be better about hiring great people:

Attitude

I can spot a positive attitude a mile away and it’s evident in everything some people do.? Five minutes into a conversation I can learn a lot about a person’s disposition and their positive energy is impossible to ignore.? I will take a positive attitude that’s willing to learn over academic background or experience.? You can teach skill, you can’t teach desire, passion and eagerness.

Drive

When you spot someone with energy and enthusiasm, pay attention.? They normally have incredible drive, and they understand the importance of hard work.? Work ethic is a value, and many people are deficient. We can look for obvious signs and pay attention when asking pertinent questions to uncover a person’s internal drive.?

Prepared

I love it when people are prepared and come equipped to have an intelligent conversation.? When people do their research and have some insight into our organization, it shows they care about the details and strive to make a good impression.? People that are honest about their weaknesses also indicate integrity, especially when it’s supported by willingness to learn.? Being prepared for any important conversation is invaluable.

Adaptable

Business today moves at the speed of sound.? I need to hire people that understand the importance of agility, being adaptable and highly flexible.? People that have limited capacity to evolve won’t fit into an organization that’s constantly improving.? People that understand technological trends and possess a multi-dimensional appreciation for the complexity of business will have a huge advantage over people that have no business acumen. ??

“Winning takes talent, to repeat takes character" John Wooden

Emotionally intelligent

Many people live in an echo chamber these days.? They follow trends blindly and lack the ability to measure intuition against rational thinking.? We need to find out early how emotionally intelligent someone is.? By asking the right questions and relying on our intuition, we can identify someone’s emotional aptitude.? Being emotionally intelligent and communicating well will become increasingly more important in the age of automation.?

Expedite

Many people overanalyze everything, including hiring decisions.? When we meet someone exceptional the signals are normally clear.? Real confidence and poise are tough to fake, and astute emotional intelligence can guide our decision.? Many people struggle with decisions and making good hiring decisions is no exception.? We need to trust our intuition and act expeditiously as we apply our best hiring practices.????

Release

At the same time, we need to recognize quickly when someone isn’t working out and make provisions to let them go. Sounds harsh, but it’s compassionate.? When we establish a culture designed to promote success and personal happiness, anyone that threatens that dynamic needs to go.? Some people just don’t fit and it’s prudent to release anyone that isn’t flourishing or potentially damaging our organization.??

Promote

Many companies promote the wrong people predicated on a plethora of horrible practices.? You’re good at being a salesperson therefore you’d make a good sales manager.? Really?? When we promote the wrong people, the business suffers, and quality talent gets turned off.? When we have incredible people, we need to create plenty of opportunities for them to grow. Financially, personally, and professionally.? ???

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.” Michael Jordan

Sum it up.

Any other suggestions for hiring incredible people?? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.?? Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.? Steve is the author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.? Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn.? Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!